U.S. patent number 11,185,155 [Application Number 16/394,230] was granted by the patent office on 2021-11-30 for rotary brush washing apparatus and method.
This patent grant is currently assigned to John Bean Technologies Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is John Bean Technologies Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert R. Goetz.
United States Patent |
11,185,155 |
Goetz |
November 30, 2021 |
Rotary brush washing apparatus and method
Abstract
A method and apparatus for washing and sanitizing elongate
rotary brushes used for cleaning fruit, produce, and other food
products includes revolving the brushes along a travel path about a
housing (14) and simultaneously spinning the rotary brushes about
their individual longitudinal axis (18), applying a cleaning
solution to the spinning rotary brushes in a cleaning zone of the
housing, then applying a spray to the spinning rotary brushes in a
spray zone of the housing.
Inventors: |
Goetz; Robert R. (Garden Grove,
CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
John Bean Technologies Corporation |
Chicago |
IL |
US |
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Assignee: |
John Bean Technologies
Corporation (Chicago, IL)
|
Family
ID: |
1000005964914 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/394,230 |
Filed: |
April 25, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20190246786 A1 |
Aug 15, 2019 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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15061968 |
Mar 4, 2016 |
10278489 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A46B
13/001 (20130101); A46B 17/065 (20130101); A23N
12/02 (20130101); A46B 17/06 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A46B
17/06 (20060101); A46B 13/00 (20060101); A23N
12/02 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;134/6,198 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2364613 |
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Sep 2011 |
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EP |
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02/076639 |
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Oct 2002 |
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WO |
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2005/046389 |
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May 2005 |
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WO |
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2010/035290 |
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Apr 2010 |
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WO |
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Other References
International Preliminary Report on Patentability dated Sep. 13,
2018, issued in corresponding International Application No.
PCT/US2017/020663, filed Mar. 3, 2017, 8 pages. cited by applicant
.
International Search Report and Written Opinion dated May 19, 2017,
issued in corresponding International Application No.
PCT/US2017/020663, filed Mar. 3, 2017, 12 pages. cited by applicant
.
Search Report and Written Opinion dated Feb. 7, 2020, in Chilean
Application No. 17711498.0, filed Mar. 3, 2017, with partial
English translation provided by foreign associate, 12 pages. cited
by applicant .
Communication Pursuant to Article 94(3) EPC dated Oct. 30, 2020,
issued in European Application No. 17711498.0, filed Mar. 3, 2017,
5 pages. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Ayalew; Tinsae B
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Christensen O'Connor Johnson
Kindness PLLC
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
15/061,968, filed Mar. 4, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A method for removing particulate matter from rotary brushes,
comprising: (a) revolving the rotary brushes along a path about a
housing; (b) simultaneously spinning the rotary brushes about the
longitudinal axis of the individual rotary brushes; (c) during the
revolving of the rotary brushes along a path about the housing and
the individual simultaneous spinning of the rotary brushes about
the longitudinal axis of the individual rotary brushes, passing the
rotary brushes through a cleaning solution application zone to
apply a cleaning solution to the rotary brushes; and (d) during the
revolving of the rotary brushes about the housing and the
simultaneous spinning of the rotary brushes about the individual
longitudinal axes of the rotary brushes, passing the rotary brushes
through a spraying zone to apply a spray to the rotary brushes.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising during the
revolving of the rotary brushes along a path about the housing and
the simultaneous spinning of the rotary brushes about the
longitudinal axis of the individual rotary brushes, passing the
rotary brushes through a wetting zone to apply a wetting fluid to
the rotary brushes.
3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising dividing the
housing into a wetting zone for applying a wetting fluid to the
rotary brushes.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising during the revolving
of the rotary brushes along a path about the housing and the
simultaneous spinning of the rotary brushes about the longitudinal
axis of the individual rotary brushes, passing the rotary brushes
through a sanitizing zone to apply a sanitizing medium to the
rotary brushes.
5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising further
dividing the housing into a further sanitizing zone for applying a
sanitizing medium to the rotary brushes.
6. A method for removing particulate matter when cleaning rotary
brushes, comprising: (a) loading the rotary brushes into a housing;
(b) moving the rotary brushes along a travel path about the
housing; (c) simultaneously spinning the rotary brushes about the
longitudinal axis of the individual rotary brushes as the rotary
brushes move along the travel path; (d) applying a cleaning
solution to the spinning rotary brushes; and (e) applying a spray
to the spinning rotary brushes.
7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising passing the
rotary brushes through a cleaning zone in the housing as the
cleaning solution is applied to the spinning rotary brushes.
8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising passing the
spinning rotary brushes through a spraying zone in the housing as
the spray is applied to the spinning rotary brushes.
9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising applying a
wetting fluid to the spinning rotary brushes.
10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising passing the
spinning rotary brushes through a wetting zone in the housing as
the wetting fluid is applied to the spinning rotary brushes.
11. The method according to claim 6, further comprising applying a
sanitizing medium to the spinning rotary brushes.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising passing the rotary
brushes through a sanitation zone in the housing while the
sanitizing medium is applied to the spinning rotary brushes.
13. The method according to claim 6, further comprising dividing
the housing into separate zones for applying a cleaning solution to
the spinning rotary brushes and for applying a spray to the
spinning rotary brushes.
14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising dividing
the housing into a wetting zone, wherein a wetting fluid is applied
to the spinning rotary brushes.
15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising dividing
the housing into a sanitizing zone for applying a sanitizing medium
to the spinning rotary brushes.
16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the rotary brushes are
loaded into a carrier assembly for supporting the rotary brushes
for travel about the housing and for simultaneously supporting the
rotary brushes for spinning about the rotary axis of the rotary
brushes.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the rotary brushes
are loaded onto the carrier assembly by engaging an end of the
rotary brush with a resiliently retractable mounting assembly of
the carrier assembly that retracts to receive the end of the rotary
brush.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein after the end of the
rotary brush is received by the retractable mounting assembly,
engaging the opposite end of the rotary brush with a drive head
operable to rotate the rotary brush about its rotational axis.
Description
BACKGROUND
After produce, fruits and other types of food items are picked or
otherwise harvested, they are commonly cleaned utilizing processing
machines filled with roller brushes. The brushes are mounted
horizontally on the machine side-by-side to each other in close
proximity, thereby to cooperatively form a bed of brushes on which
the produce, fruit or other food items travel while being cleaned
by the rotating brushes. As safety in food processing becomes more
strict, there is an increasing need and requirement to clean all
equipment surfaces and components that touch the food items during
processing.
The roller brushes become dirty from the produce, fruit or other
food products being cleaned and moving across the brushes, causing
the brushes to trap, dirt, debris, and other materials and
organisms in the brush filaments and in the brush cores. The
brushes are difficult to access for cleaning when installed in a
cleaning machine due to guards as well as systems needed to drive
or turn the brushes. Thus, the brushes need to be removed from the
processing machine for cleaning and sanitization. Typically, the
removed brushes are washed manually one at time with a water hose
or soaked in a tray until the brushes are visibly clean. Consistent
and thorough cleaning is difficult to achieve using these methods
and effective sanitization of the brushes unlikely.
The present disclosure addresses the need for an efficient and
effective apparatus and system for cleaning rotary
produce/fruit/food brushes.
SUMMARY
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a
simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed
Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features
of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an
aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
A washing machine cleans and sanitizes cylindrical brushes used for
scrubbing produce, fruit, and other food items. The brushes are
loaded into the washing machine and subjected to a cycle of
cleaning and sanitization within the machine. Once the
cleaning/sanitization cycle has been completed, the brushes are
easily removed from the washing machine and reinstalled in the
in-line processing equipment from which the brushes were removed.
The washing machine is constructed with internal zones through
which each brush is carried by a carrier system that enables each
brush, including its filaments and core, to be exposed for adequate
cleaning and sanitization. The rotary brush mounting arrangement
facilitates the effective removal of dirt, debris, and organisms
during the cleaning cycle. The machine's design enables the brushes
to be easily loaded and unloaded from the machine. In addition to
efficiently and consistently cleaning the rotary brushes, the
brushes are also sanitized in an efficient and consistent manner,
which is not readily achievable when manually washing the rotary
brushes one at a time.
A rotary brush washing machine in accordance with the foregoing
attributes includes:
a housing;
a carrier assembly positioned within the housing for supporting a
plurality of rotary brushes for revolving about the housing and
simultaneously spinning about the individual axes of the rotary
brushes;
a cleaning solution applicator for applying cleaning solution on
the rotary brushes as the brushes revolve about the housing and
simultaneously spin about their individual longitudinal axis;
and
a sprayer for applying spray on the rotary brushes for removing
particulate matter from the rotary brushes as the rotary brushes
revolve about the housing and simultaneously spin about their
individual longitudinal axis.
In a further aspect, the carrier assembly for the rotary brush
washing apparatus includes:
an upper carrier substructure for carrying and supporting the upper
end portions of the rotary brushes as the rotary brushes revolve
about the housing and rotate about their individual longitudinal
axis;
a lower carrier substructure for carrying and supporting the lower
end portions of the rotary brushes as the rotary brushes revolve
about the housing and spin about their individual longitudinal
axis; and
a first drive for simultaneously driving in unison the upper and
lower carrier substructures to revolve the rotary brushes about the
housing.
The rotary brush washing apparatus further includes a second drive,
which operates independently of the first drive, for spinning the
individual rotary brushes about the longitudinal axes of the
individual brushes at a speed unrelated to the speed at which the
upper and lower carrier substructures revolve the rotary brushes
about the housing.
As a further aspect, the housing is generally circular in shape to
define a central axis, and the carrier assembly supports the rotary
brushes for rotation about the central axis of the housing. In
addition, the upper and lower substructures are in the form of
upper and lower annular ring structures that support the rotary
brushes for circular rotation about the central axis of the
housing.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the
housing is divided into separate zones where different steps of the
brush cleaning and sanitation process occur. In this regard, there
may be a zone for applying a wetting liquid to the rotary brushes,
a zone for applying a cleaning solution to the rotary brushes, a
zone for applying a spray to the rotary brushes, and/or a zone for
applying a sterilizing or sanitizing solution to the rotary
brushes.
In addition to providing a washing apparatus for washing and
sanitizing rotary brushes, a method is provided for removing
particulate matter from the rotary brushes. The method
includes:
revolving the rotary brushes along a path within the interior of a
housing;
simultaneously spinning the rotary brushes about the individual
longitudinal axes of the rotary brushes;
passing the revolving and spinning rotary brushes through a
cleaning solution application zone to apply a cleaning solution to
the rotary brushes; and
passing the rotary brushes through a spraying zone to apply a spray
to the rotary brushes.
The method may also include passing the brushes through a wetting
zone to apply a wetting solution to the rotary brushes prior to
passing the brushes through a cleaning solution application
zone.
The method may also include passing the rotary brushes through a
sanitizing zone to apply to the rotary brushes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this
invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become
better understood by reference to the following detailed
description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elementary view, partially in section, of the
brush washing machine apparatus of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a top sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2
thereof;
FIG. 3 is a further sectional view of FIG. 1 taken along lines 3-3
thereof;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing another
embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the engagement of the
upper and lower ends of a brush with the washing machine
apparatus;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the engagement of the
lower end of a brush with the washing machine apparatus; and
FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary views of the engagement of
the upper ends of a brush with the washing machine apparatus,
wherein FIG. 8 is a view wherein the mounting structure for the
brush is rotated 90.degree. from FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the
appended drawings, where like numerals reference like elements, is
intended as a description of various embodiments of the disclosed
subject matter and is not intended to represent the only
embodiments. Each embodiment described in this disclosure is
provided merely as an example or illustration and should not be
construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The
illustrative examples provided herein are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms
disclosed. Similarly, any steps described herein may be
interchangeable with other steps, or combinations of steps, in
order to achieve the same or substantially similar result.
In the following description, numerous specific details are set
forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary
embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to one
skilled in the art, however, that many embodiments of the present
disclosure may be practiced without some or all of the specific
details. In some instances, well-known process steps have not been
described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure various
aspects of the present disclosure. Further, it will be appreciated
that embodiments of the present disclosure may employ any
combination of features described herein.
The present application may include references to "directions,"
such as "forward," "rearward," "front," "back," "upward,"
"downward," "right hand," "left hand," "in," "out," "extended,"
"advanced," "retracted," "proximal," and "distal." These references
and other similar references in the present application are only to
assist in helping describe and understand the present invention and
are not intended to limit the present invention to these
directions.
The present application may include modifiers such as the words
"generally," "approximately," "about", or "substantially." These
terms are meant to serve as modifiers to indicate that the
"dimension," "shape," "temperature," or other physical parameter,
in question need not be exact, but may vary as long as the function
that is required to be performed can be carried out. For example,
in the phrase "generally circular in shape," the shape need not be
exactly circular as long as the required function of the structure
in question can be carried out.
In the following description, various embodiments of the present
disclosure are described. In the following description and in the
accompanying drawings, the corresponding systems assemblies,
apparatus and units may be identified by the same part number, but
with an alpha suffix. The descriptions of the parts/components of
such systems assemblies, apparatus, and units are the same or
similar are not repeated so as to avoid redundancy in the present
application.
The present disclosure pertains to a washing machine apparatus 10
for washing and sanitizing roller brushes, such as elongate roller
brushes 12, shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, used for cleaning produce,
fruit and other types of food products. In basic form, the washing
machine 10 includes a cylindrical housing 14 within which is
installed a carrier assembly 16 for supporting the rotary brushes
12 to revolve about the interior perimeter of the housing and also
simultaneously spin the individual rotary brushes about their
individual longitudinal axis 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the interior
of the housing is divided into zones 20, 22, 24, and 26 at which
different steps in the cleaning and sanitization process are
carried out. A collection tank 30 is located at the bottom of the
housing 14 to collect waste fluids and other effluent from the
cleaning and sanitization process. A control panel 32, shown in
FIG. 2, is used to program the washing machine 10 to a desired
washing and sanitization cycle, which can be tailored to the
condition of the brushes being cleaned and sanitized.
The above general components of washing machine 10 are described
more fully below, as well as other components and features of the
washing machine.
Referring to the figures, the brushes 12 are of an elongate
configuration having bristles 34 radiating outwardly from a central
core 36. At the upper end of the brushes, a square shaped socket 38
is formed in the central core 36 for engagement with the carrier
assembly 16. At the bottom end of the brush 12, a circular blind
hole 40 is formed in the core 36 for engagement with the carrier
assembly. Although one configuration of brushes 12 is illustrated
and described, the present washing machine 10 is not limited to
cleaning brushes of only this particular configuration. The washing
machine can be utilized to clean other constructions of brushes,
including brushes having different upper and lower end
configurations. To this end, the carrier assembly of machine 10 can
be adapted to correspond with/accommodate other brush designs.
The housing 14 is illustrated as being circular in shape and having
a cylindrical drum or body portion 44 covered by a top 46. The body
44 is positioned above the bottom collection tank 30. The top 46 is
removable to gain access to the interior of the housing. Drains
48a, 48b, 48c, and 48d are provided at the bottom of the collection
tank 30 for removal of the used/waste fluids from the tank. As
discussed below, the housing is divided into various zones, and the
tank 30 likewise could be divided into corresponding zones by
partitions, not shown. As such, drains 48a, 48b, 48c, and 48d can
be located in each of the different partition zones.
This housing body 44 includes a door 50 that provides access to the
interior of the housing through opening 52. As described below, the
brushes 12 are conveniently loaded into the machine 10 and removed
from the machine through opening 52.
Although the housing 14 is found in configuration so as to
correspond to the shape of the rotatable carrier assembly 16, the
housing 14 can be constructed in other shapes, such as rectangular,
oval, elliptical, etc., especially if the brushes 12 are mounted on
a carrier assembly that is able to revolve the brushes around the
interior perimeter of the rectangular, oval, elliptical, etc.,
shaped housing.
The carrier assembly 16 includes an upper carrier substructure 54
for carrying and supporting the upper end portions of the brushes
12 as the brushes revolve around the housing 14 and spin about
their individual axis 18. The carrier assembly 16 correspondingly
includes a lower carrier substructure 56 for carrying and
supporting the lower end portions of the rotary brushes as the
rotary brushes revolve around the housing 14 and spin about
individual axis 18. Referring specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2, the
upper carrier substructure 54 includes an upper annular ring 58
that has an outer diameter spaced a short distance inwardly from
the inner circumference of the housing body 44. The annular ring 58
is carried and supported for rotation about the central axis 60 of
the housing 14 by a powered shaft 62 extending downwardly into the
housing 14 through a clearance hole formed in the top 46. The upper
annular ring 58 is connected to the powered shaft 62 by a series of
radial spokes 64 extending radially outwardly from shaft 62 to
intersect with the upper annular ring 58. The powered shaft 62
rotates the annular ring 58 in the direction of arrows 66 shown in
FIG. 2.
Referring additionally to FIG. 5, the interconnection between the
upper end portion of the brush 12 and the upper carrier
substructure 54 is illustrated. In this regard, at the location of
each brush 12 a shaft 70 is anti-frictionally mounted on ring 58 so
as to rotate relative therethrough. The upper end of shaft 70 has a
reduced diameter shank portion 72 that engages securely within the
interior of a chain sprocket 74. As shown in FIG. 2, the sprocket
74 at each brush location is interconnected by a chain 76 that
engages with the sprocket teeth along the circumferentially
outwardly directed portions of the sprockets 74. The chain 76 is
driven by a drive sprocket 78 which is rotated by a powered shaft
80. The shaft is connected to a rotational actuator, for example,
an electric motor, hydraulic motor, air motor, etc. (not
shown).
Referring back to FIG. 5, shaft 70 includes a reduced diameter
lower drive head 82 that engages with a correspondingly shaped
socket 38 formed in the upper end of the brush core 36, as
described previously. Thus, the cross-sectional shape of the drive
head 82 matches that of the socket 38, the shape of which may be
square, hexagonal, octagonal, etc. The end of the drive head 38
bears against the bottom of the socket 38.
It will be appreciated that the drive sprocket 78 drives the chain
76, which in turn causes the brushes 12 to spin about their central
axis 14. Further, the rotational speed at which the brushes 12 spin
can be independent of the speed at which the powered shaft 62
rotates the carrier assembly 16 causing the brushes 12 to revolve
in the housing 14 about the central axis 60 of the housing.
Referring specifically to FIGS. 1, 3, and 5, the lower carrier
substructure 56 includes a lower annular ring 84 that is positioned
above the bottom floor 86 of the housing 14. The lower annular ring
84 is tied to the upper annular ring 58 by tie rods 88 that extend
vertically between the upper and lower annular rings 58 and 84. A
tie rod 88 is shown as positioned adjacent the end of each spoke
64; however, the tie rods 88 can be located elsewhere about the
upper and lower rings, and a larger or fewer number of tie rods
could be utilized. Preferably the tie rods 88 are positioned
between adjacent brushes 12 so as not to interfere with the flow
direction of cleaning fluid or other fluids discharged from central
nozzles described below. It will be appreciated that through the
use of the tie rods 88, the lower annular ring 84 rotates in
concert with the upper annular ring 58 so as to hold the brushes 12
securely between the upper and lower annular rings.
The lower annular ring 84 is maintained in registry directly below
the upper annular ring 58 by the use of centering rollers 89 that
are mounted to the upper end of studs 90 extending upwardly from
housing floor 86. The centering rollers 89 roll against the inside
diameter 91 of the lower annular ring 84. Although eight centering
rollers 89 are illustrated in FIG. 2, a larger number or a fewer
number of centering rings may be utilized. Also, other techniques
may be employed to maintain the lower center ring 84 centered
relative to upper annular ring 58 and rotational axis 60.
Referring to FIG. 5, the lower end portions of the brushes 12 are
connected to the lower annular ring 84 via a quick disconnect
mounting assembly 92 carried by the lower annular ring 84. The
mounting assembly 92 is fully described and illustrated in U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 14/970,129, filed Dec. 15, 2015, and
incorporated in its entirety into this application. The mounting
assembly 92 is secured to the lower annular ring 84 by mounting
flange 92a that overlies the upper surface of the annular ring 84.
Hardware (now shown) attaches the flange 92a to the annular ring
84. A through hole 93 is formed in the annular ring 82 to provide
clearance for the housing portion 94 of the mounting assembly 92.
The mounting assembly 92 receives and supports an idle shaft or pin
96, having an upper end portion engaged into the blind hole 40
formed in the lower end of the brush core 36. The idle pin 96 is
resiliently loaded in the upper direction to securely engage within
the blind hole 40 and rotatably support the lower end of the brush
for rotation about the longitudinal central brush axis 18. Because
the idle shaft 96 is resiliently biased in the upward direction, it
can be retracted in the downward direction by simply pushing
downwardly on the brush 12. The brush 12 is loaded into the washing
machine 10 by placing the blind hole 40 over the upper end of the
idle shaft 96 and pressing downwardly on the brush to provide
clearance between the upper end of the brush and the bottom of the
drive head 82. Next, the square socket 38 need only be aligned with
the drive head 82 and allowed to engage upwardly over the drive
head under the action of the resiliently loaded idle shaft 96.
It will be appreciated that the brushes 12 may be removed from the
washing machine 10 by simply reversing the foregoing procedure. In
this regard, the brush 12 is simply pressed downwardly causing the
idle shaft 96 to move downwardly relative to mounting assembly 93
until the upper end of the brush 12 clears the bottom of the drive
head 82 at the upper annular ring 58. Once the upper end of the
brush 12 has cleared the drive head 82, the downward pressure on
the brush 12 can be released so that the brush can simply be lifted
off of and away from the idle shaft 96 and thereby is free to be
removed from the washing machine 10.
Referring to FIG. 3, the interior of the housing 14, inward of
brushes 12, is divided into separate zones where at specific steps
of the cleaning/sterilizing process occur. Such zones 20, 22, 24,
26 are shown in FIG. 3 and described below. These zones are defined
by partition walls 100 that radiate out from the center of the
housing. Although four zones are illustrated in FIG. 3, a fewer
number or larger number of zones may be formed within the
housing.
Referring to the zones shown in FIG. 3, zone 20, the first zone in
the cleaning process directs water for rinsing or soaking to the
brushes to loosen up the dirt, grease, and/or other debris or other
matter lodged in the brush bristles. The water can be applied at
ambient temperature or could be heated to an appropriate
temperature depending on, for example, the nature of the dirt,
debris, and other substantially removed from the brushes. The
rinse/soaking water may be applied to the brushes by a series of
vertically spaced nozzles 102. The nozzles 102 are connected to a
source of water or other liquid, and appropriate valves and
controllers are provided to control the application of the rinse or
soaking water or other liquid to the brushes as well as the heating
of the water, if it is heated. It will be appreciated that while in
zone 20, the brushes 12 are moving along the inside perimeter of
the housing about central axis 60 and also individually spinning
about their longitudinal central axis 18 thereby to present the
entire surface area of the brushes to the spray from nozzle 102.
This relative motion occurs in each of the zones of the washing
machine 10.
In the next zone 22, a cleaning solution, for example, a foam
detergent, may be sprayed on the brushes 12 by nozzles 104, thereby
to break down the dirt, debris, particulate matter, grease, other
foreign materials, etc., from the brushes. Again, as described
above, due to the construction of washing machine 10, the entire
surface area of the brushes 12 is presented to the nozzle 104
several times during the interval that the brushes 12 revolve
through the second zone 22.
In the next zone 24, spray at applicable pressure and/or volume is
applied to the brush to remove the loosened dirt, debris, grease,
particulate matter, foreign materials, etc. For some types of
brushes, the pressure of the spray needs to be limited so as not to
damage the brushes. The spray is applied to the brushes by nozzles
106 which are connected to a source of spray that may be in the
form of water, air or a combination thereof. The spray from the
nozzles 106 drains off of the brushes 12 to the collection tank 30
at the bottom of the housing. The same is true for the water or
other liquid from zone 20 as well as the foam or other cleanser
that does not remain on the brushes in zone 22. The drainage from
the zones 20, 22, and 24 may be collected in a singular tank 30, or
the tank 30 can be divided into sections so that the drainage from
each zone is kept separate. The drainage liquid can be processed
and reused again in the brush washing machine 10.
In the next zone 26, the brushes are sanitized with a sanitizing
spray applied to the brushes by nozzles 108. The sanitizing spray
may consist of an alcohol-water solution, a peracetic acid solution
or similar/equivalent solution or mixture.
Prior to applying the sanitizing spray, the brushes may be at least
partially dried by applying, for example, ambient air and/or heated
air to the brushes utilizing nozzles (not shown) located in zone 26
upstream from nozzles 100, and/or in a separate zone upstream from
zone 26. Further, in addition to a sanitizing spray, the brushes 12
may be subjected to ultraviolet light to kill bacteria that may
remain on the brushes. The ultraviolet light may be applied to the
brushes in zone 26 and/or in a separate zone.
Water and other fluids, detergents, air (in selected pressures
and/or volumes and/or temperatures), disinfectants, sanitizing
agents, etc. can be routed to the interiors of the machine 10 and
to nozzles, such as nozzles 102, 104, 106, and 108 by inlet ports
110, 112, 114, 116, 118, and 119 shown in FIG. 1. These ports can
be connected to the source(s) of the applicable processing/cleaning
liquids, detergents, fluids, etc.
The washing machine 10 can be programmed to repeat the process of
one or more of the above-described zones multiple times while the
brushes are within the washing machine 10. For example, the brushes
may cycle through zones 20, 22, and 24 two or more times before the
brushes are dried and/or sanitized in zone as described above.
The programming of the washing machine 10 so as to subject the
brushes to a desired washing cycle can be inputted by the user
interface on the control panel 32.
In operation, the brushes 12 are mounted within the washing machine
10 by opening the door 50, thereby to provide access to the
interior of the housing through opening 52. As described above, the
brushes 12 can be conveniently positioned in the housing by
inserting the blind hole 40 at the bottom of a brush over the idler
shaft 16 and pressing downwardly on the idler shaft so as to
retract the idler shaft, thereby to provide clearance at the top of
the brush to permit alignment of the upper socket 38 with the drive
head 82. Thereupon, the brush head 12 is simply released and the
idler shaft 96 presses upwardly against the brush to securely seat
the upper end of the brush with the drive head.
The upper and lower carrier substructures, 54 and 56 index (rotate)
in unison to present the next brush mounting station to the opening
52 in the housing. Once the machine 10 is fully loaded, the door 50
is closed and the machine programmed to a desired cleaning and
sanitation cycles. Thereafter, the brushes 12 are conveniently
removed from the washing machine by reversing the foregoing
process. While within the washing machine, the brushes 12 are
thoroughly cleaned and sanitized in an efficient uniform manner. By
spinning the individual brushes 12 about their longitudinal axes 18
at a relatively fast speed, the entire outer surface of the brushes
are presented to the nozzles 102, 104, 106, and 108 at least
several times while the brushes are within each of the processing
zones 20, 22, 24, and 26. The speed that the brushes are spun can
be independently controlled by controlling the speed of the drive
shaft 80 which powers the drive sprocket 88.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 4.
The components of the illustrated washing machine 10' that are the
same as in the washing machine 10 are identified by the same part
numbers. The description of those components will not be repeated
here so as to avoid duplication or repetition. FIG. 4 corresponds
to FIG. 2 above. In this regard, the washing machine 10' is
constructed similar to washing machine 10, except for the manner in
which the sprockets 74 are driven. Rather than being driven by an
external chain, the sprockets 74 mesh with a stationary ring gear
120. As a result, as the carrier assembly 16 is rotated, the
brushes 12 are also rotated by the engagement of the sprockets 74
with the ring gear 120. In this arrangement, the speed at which the
brushes 12 rotate about their individual longitudinal axes 18 is
dependent on the speed at which the upper and lower annular rings
58 and 84 are rotated. Thus the speed at which the brushes 12 spin
about their longitudinal axis 18 is a proportional to the speed
that the powered shaft 62 rotates. Of course, by changing the size
of the sprockets 74, the relative spinning speed of the brushes can
be altered. Nonetheless, the spinning speed of the brushes about
their individual longitudinal axes 18 is sufficiently fast so that
several spinning revolutions of the brushes will occur during
travel of the brushes through each of the processing zones 20, 22,
24, and 26. Other than the foregoing, the construction and the
operation of the washing machine 10' is the same or very similar to
washing machine 10 described above.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 6.
The components of the illustrated washing machine that are the same
as in the washing machine 10 shown in FIG. 5 are identified by the
same part numbers. The description of those components will not be
repeated here so as to avoid duplication or repetition. FIG. 6
corresponds to FIG. 5 above. In this regard, the washing machine is
constructed similarly to washing machine, but with an adapter 130
for cleaning brushes 12' that are shorter than brushes 12 shown in
FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, the adapter 130 is utilized so that the
same washing machine can be used with brushes of different lengths.
The adapter 130 is in the form of an extension rod 132 having a pin
134 extending upwardly from the upper end of the rod 132 to engage
within blind hole 40' of the brush 12' in the same manner that idle
shaft 96 extends into the blind hole 40 of the brush 12 shown in
FIG. 5.
The rod 132 is illustrated as being of solid construction, but the
rod can be of hollow construction to reduce its weight. Also the
rod can be formed from various materials including corrosion
resistant metals or high strength plastics. At the lower end, a
blind bore 136 is provided for reception of the idle shaft 96. It
can be appreciated that adapter 130 can conveniently be engaged
with the lower end of the brush 12' and then the combined brush and
adapter loaded onto the washing machine in the same manner as
described above with respect to brush 12. Other than the use of the
adapter 130, the brush 12' is cleaned and sanitized in the same
manner as brush 12 described above.
A further embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in FIGS. 7
and 8. The components of the illustrated washing machine that are
the same as the washing machines described above wherein like parts
are identified by the same part numbers. The description of these
components will not be repeated here. FIGS. 7 and 8 are directed to
an alternative mounting and drive arrangement for the upper end of
brushes 12''. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a drive shaft 70'' is
disposed within a mounting collar 150, which in turn is attached to
mounting bracket 152. The bracket 152 includes opposed mounting
flange portions 154 and curved central portion 156 that is welded
or otherwise attached to the collar 150. The flanges 154 are
connectable to upper annular ring structure 158. Such ring
structure may be of hollow or partially hollow construction so as
to reduce the weight thereof. The ring structure 158 functions the
same or very similarly to the upper annular ring 58 described
above.
A bushing, such as a bronze bushing 160, is interposed between
shaft 70'' and collar 150. Also, a hardware member in the form of a
nut 162 is engaged with the threaded blind hole in the upper end
portion of the shaft 70'' to retain the shaft 70'' engaged with the
collar 150. A bronze thrust washer 164 is positioned between the
underside of the collar 150 and the chain sprocket 74''. The
sprocket 74'' is held stationary with respect to the shaft 70'' by
any convenient means, for example, using a key and keyway, shaping
the shaft 70'' with a flat or in a square or hexagonal cross
section to correspond with the shape of the inside diameter of the
sprocket 74''. Below the sprocket 74'', the shaft 70 is square in
cross section to match the socket 38 formed in the upper end
portion of the brush core 36.
In terms of operation, the embodiment of the present disclosure
shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 is the same as described above, including
with respect to FIG. 5.
While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described,
it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein
without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For
example, the lower annular ring 84 may be constructed differently
than described above. In this regard, the powered shaft 62 may be
extended downwardly to the elevation of the lower annular ring 84,
and the shaft attached to the annular ring using spokes similar to
the spokes 64 employed to attach the upper annular ring 58 to the
drive shaft 62. In this alternative construction, the nozzles
102-108 may be located outwardly of the brushes 12 when mounted
within the washing machine 10. For example, such nozzles may extend
inwardly toward axis 60 from manifolds (not shown) extending
upwardly along the interior wall of the housing body 44.
As another alternative, rather than mounting the nozzles outwardly
of the brushes 12, the nozzles 102-108 may be located as shown in
FIG. 3. The heated water, detergents, pressurized air, sanitizing
agents, etc. may be routed to the nozzles 102-108 by the use of a
multi-channel rotary manifold extending upwardly or downwardly
through the center of the housing body to allow the spray into the
four zones 20, 22, 24, and 26 with at least four different
media.
Further, in place of the carrier assembly 16 described above, the
brushes 12 may be carried about the interior housing by a belt or a
chain riding in a track system. Appropriate brackets could be
attached to the belt/chain to engage with the upper and lower ends
of the brushes. Further, a separate chain system, similar to that
illustrated in FIG. 2, can be used to rotate the brushes 12 about
their individual axis 18 independently of the speed at which the
brushes revolve around the interior of the housing. This
configuration of carrier assembly could be utilized regardless of
the shape of the housing.
Although separate zones have been identified above whereat specific
steps of the cleaning/sterilization process may occur, the
described zones are examples of zones that can be used in
conjunction with the washing machine 10. Other zones in addition to
those specifically described above may be utilized for additional
steps, in the endeavor to clean, sanitize, and/or dry the brushes
12 in an energy and time efficient manner without creation of undue
waste fluids and liquids.
Moreover, the washing machine 10 can be constructed with multiple
zones, which are the same or similar. For example, in certain
situations, it may be desirable to utilize two rinse/soaking zones
adjacent each other or spaced from each other. The same is true for
the other zones described above.
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